The Next Arms Race in the Making? Robotic Warships Are On Their Way More drone ships will help America increase the size of its fleet. They also represent a cheaper option for winning future conflicts. Here's What You Need to Remember: America is not the only country working on robotic warships. The proliferation of robotic warships could make naval warfare safer for human beings. But it also could have the unintended effect of reducing the threshold for military action. Recent events in the Strait of Hormuz underscore that danger. In the summer of 2019 U.S. and Iranian forces each shot down a surveillance drone belonging to the other side, escalating tensions that began with U.S. president Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 deal limiting Iran’s nuclear program.